It sounds like it works for her, and that she does understand she's got to think of place value in that she's doing the diagonal adding. However, it would bug me that she's writing them in a way that doesn't show place value. I guess she wouldn't forget if she always does it the same way, but given she's just starting with this (?) I think I'd ask her to practice lining them by place instead.

156 in the last 6 months. 379 in 2015. Makes me feel kind of bad looking at it like that. Yikes.

I think my ideal sleep would be 2 am to 10 am. But our days don't go well when I get up that late, so I usually get up between 8:30-9ish.

I waited until mine was older. Can you read just the darkest parts? Anyone who has read them can tell you what portions to read. I think you'll know whether your particular 8 year old can handle it after reading. Mine couldn't have, but clearly lots of kids can.

I was assaulted in a library, so with people around, as a college student. I froze. I didn't even report it. I felt responsible for freezing or shamed or I don't know what. I read later of others assaulted in the library. It was only then that I realized I wasn't at fault and should have reported it. Poor girl. I expect that having asked him to move before it happened and not followed up to make him adds liability to the airline.

Thank you for the thoughts. I didn't mention extra-curriculars. He does robotics and scouts. He does inter-mural basketball, but not year round. I probably need to think more about the physical activity end of things. I like the idea of self selected electives, and I think that would probably really appeal to him.

My oldest a rising 7th grader. What is missing? Math: CLE 8, Singapore Challenging Word Problems 6 LA: IEW theme book, CLE Reading 6, CLE LA 6 Science: So You Really Want to Learn Science 2. I have a Thames and Kosmos kit to add experiments. History: Human Odyssey I have Getting Started With Latin. I'm just not sure I'm ready to launch into Latin. My days with the kids feel full. He's not very independent. It's more often that not that we do science and history on alternate days--so completing what I consider full lessons 2-3 times a week, not daily. Is this ok in middle school? I'm feeling insecure after reading some other threads here.

I buy as needed. We begin new material whenever we're ready. I think I purchased the next grade level math for one kid in February of this year. But that doesn't apply to you. I think I would purchase just the first level of whatever programs you've selected now. You'll probably learn a lot this first year about what works and doesn't for you and your students. I usually purchase from the lowest price of publisher, Amazon, Rainbow Resources, and Christianbook.com, taking shipping costs into account.

I don't know how helpful it will be, but I'll share my "system" in case it's useful. I took pictures (just digital) of artwork, projects, whatever I wanted to keep a memory of. I should have had the creator hold his creation in retrospect. I have some pictures like that, and they are more meaningful to me than the pictures with the item alone. I am not keeping records for government entities or similar, but for memory. If I had to keep stuff for records, I think I would just have a tub per child per school year. In the summer, I would take out what I needed to keep and put it in a labeled mailing type envelope, box or whatever and put it in the garage or attic. Craft supplies have come in handy occasionally even as my kids have gotten older. I pulled out old Styrofoam craft balls and pipe cleaners this week for a science lesson. I didn't expect to need those in middle school. But, anyway, craft stuff that is used irregularly but potentially useful I have in long underbed plastic storage tubs. I've got it kind of grouped by type of item and type of whatever label on top. Those are all stored under my bed so they aren't in my day to day space but easy to get to if we need them. I have more commonly used craft supplies in a hallway closet that was intended to be a linen closet. I put one of those hang over the door things with pockets on the door. A pocket has colored pencils, and others have things like scissors, stapler, tape, post its, index cards, etc. I used to have things in those pockets like commonly used small math manipulatives. It's just an out of way, organized, highly accessible to even little people place for day to day stuff. On shelves in that closet I have other supplies in those plastic box type containers--science stuff in this one, c rods in that one, extra tape and staples here, etc. That closet also stores my coil binder and supplies, paper cutter, and similar big, equipment type things. I do have a lot of bookshelves. I even have one full of picture books I didn't want to get rid of along with another full of books my older kids read now. I am not good about letting go of books. I have a bookshelf in a closet in the basement where I have some shelves dedicated to, well, curriculum I might use some day. I just purge as my kids outgrew the possibility of using whatever it was. I used to get rid of stuff that I thought wouldn't work. Over the years I occasionally had to repurchase something I had once owned. I stopped that. I give stuff away, because I realized quickly that I never get around to trying to re-sell stuff. I have a bookshelf in our kitchen that has shelves designated for our current schooling. I do have all our currently used--daily or weekly--LA and math curriculum. It's grouped by kid and my oldest (MS), has his daily independent learning stuff on a closet shelf in his room. I have another shelf with currently used history, science, and similar books. I have another shelf with paper, the pencil sharpener, and one of those pull out the drawers containers. One drawer has white board markers and erasers, another pencils, and a third day in and out math supplies like calculators, rulers, and compasses. Lap type white boards are to the side of that, so they are easy to grab. That's too much specific detail I'm sure, but the point is I tried to think of the need to accessibility when I decided where to store stuff.

I'm using a theme book alone, a history theme geared for all grades. However, I don't think their rubrics would be what you need. They are tailored toward IEW writing style.

CLE LA 4 maybe? I used CLE LA 5 with my son last year. He did have some basic knowledge (noun/verbs/adjective/adverbs/prep phrases), but no diagramming experience. I wouldn't call it diagram heavy, but he diagrams every lesson I think. It's written to the student/self teaching.

CLE has a US/American History for 8th grade. I haven't used it, but I have read good things and am thinking of it for my son in 8th. https://www.clp.org/store/by_course/80 Some workbook based grammar choices would be CLE Language Arts, Rod and Staff, and Easy Grammar. I think CLE has a 9th grade grammar/LA that some use in 8th grade as a sort of capstone if she's already strong in grammar. You would want an additional composition program though. Writing With Skill is written directly to the student, and Well Trained Mind Academy has courses based on those books if you would want someone else to grade and step her through it. I don't know what else is out there workbook wise. Science would need added labs if you found a workbook based I think? I've found my son needs more hand holding in science than in other courses for some reason. Maybe it wouldn't be that way if he were in school first though.

I school in the summer just as if it is more of the year. I have always done it that way, and my oldest is in middle school now so it's worked for us. My kids have time to read and play and pursue hobbies year round. We take vacations, though often in the off seasons. We take weeks off in the summer for camps, my son took a whole week to work with robotics team mates before their final competition, we take a day to visit friends, etc. I guess if we lived in a subdivision with kids out of school for the summer playing outside all day I might have decided to do shorter days or something. I think I would still do something year round though. I like the schedule and day to day freedom I feel knowing we have plenty of time in our year. Have a routine helps us be productive day in and out. I can take time to delve into topics or shore up weaknesses without losing grade level progress. My kids like school--or at least parts of it--and I like teaching, so it's never felt negative to any of us.

I definitely don't want to kill enjoyment, you're right. I talked to a BIL in the sciences (doctor), and he felt it depended on the student, and that logical thinking and problem solving was probably more important. But then he said knowing basic scientific concepts was probably a good idea, too. I think my text goes beyond basic.

I've done great with formal history, but we've used a lot of documentaries and magazines and similar stuff for informal science, plus some 4-H. In 7th/8th grade--what is important for science instruction if someone hasn't done much formal science? 1. an overview of all the major science branches? 2. enjoyment/interest led science? 3. learning lab type procedures? 4. Something else? I feel out of my element in this area. I purchased a text with the idea of doing physics, chemistry, biology and earth/space in a relatively in-depth way. I have the book, and now I'm not sure. We'd have to recover at least two of the sciences in high school, so maybe spending middle school doing this is unnecessary? Mostly I think I feel overwhelmed. Science isn't my strength.

I have seen complaints about the older versions of LTOW. If anyone has used the newer version of the program-- Is it teacher friendly? Does it take a lot of prep and/or is it hard to wrap your brain around? Did your student enjoy, tolerate, or dislike the program? Were you pleased with the skills gained? Do you think there might have been better ways to get those skills? I do want to focus on persuasive writing with my middle schooler. I am seriously considering a purchase, but it's a lot of money for something I'm having trouble getting a sense about ahead of time. I don't want to make a pricey mistake.

I'm really surprised.

If you paid for all of them, I would definitely complain to whomever is above the manager. A limit isn't stated.

I'm a former middle school teacher. I think middle school is an ideal time to homeschool. You can be flexible with the hormone related brain blips and bumps, accommodate increased needs for sleep, and perhaps mitigate middle school age peer related ick. Academically, I think my kids will learn much more in a homeschool middle school environment compared to school. That said, if my son decides he wants to go to high school, I may send him to middle school in 8th so he has a year of adjustment before it counts. If he does do public high school, it will be for social rather than academic reasons for me. But, like you, I like the idea of a trial period. You could always try and see what she thinks. No decision is permanent.

I'm sorry you feel stuck in home you don't want. We have things here that I wish we could afford to do as well, but we did the major things I needed to be ok in the home within the first year here. We actually bought "down" so we could afford that, because I had a similar to you stuck feeling in our first home. It was never going to be ok with me.

Thank you. That is helpful. Have you used Lost Tools? I am hoping it's not something that would turn off a young writer.

I wear shorts or pajama type bottoms with an oversized t-shirt. I actually wear men's undershirts on top most often. They are cheap, light, and comfortable.

I'm not sure where to go for composition with my middle school son. I used a lot of non-structured writing instruction, and I'm using IEW for a bit now. I don't want to stay here though. I like the idea of emphasizing persuasive type writing. I've been looking at Lost Tools of Writing, but I can't figure out if the updated version took care of the weaknesses in earlier versions. I also can't get a feel for how engaging the program is? I don't want writing to turn into a chore. Is their chart something I want in my son's writing tool box, or are there better ways to do similar things? I found a few mentions of Writing w/ a Thesis on this forum. It looks like it emphasizes persuasive writing as well. It's tons cheaper, but I am willing to invest in writing. Is it better than Lost Tools or just as good?

I'd be concerned now. Did you pay by credit card? If so, has the charge gone through? By law, they must ship within stated or reasonable (30 day I think?) if not stated period or offer a refund of your money, at least for phone/mail orders I know. I had an issue like that once. So, at this point with no response I would make one more attempt to contact the seller and then make a formal charge dispute with my credit card company.

My son did make further progress with D. I do remember feeling it was harder than the other levels about half way through.